News Desk
BEIJING — Pakistan and China are locked in ongoing talks about safeguarding Chinese nationals in the South Asian nation, but Islamabad’s assurances ring hollow against a backdrop of relentless attacks. Ambassador Khalil Hashmi admitted Wednesday at the Boao Forum in Hainan that it’s a “work in progress,” a tepid nod to a problem China’s been hammering at for years. Beijing’s frustration is palpable—it’s pushing to deploy its own security forces, tired of Pakistan’s inability to shield the thousands of Chinese workers tied to the $65-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a linchpin of Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The two nations, bound by a mutual distrust of India and a shared itch to counter U.S. sway, have leaned on each other since 2013, with China propping up Pakistan’s faltering economy. But militants—hell-bent on sowing chaos, bleeding Pakistan dry, and fraying its ties with Beijing—keep targeting Chinese workers. Last October’s Karachi airport bombing, which killed two engineers, was just the latest slap in the face. Hashmi called it Pakistan’s “national responsibility” to protect them, boasting of “information sharing” and “standard operating procedures.” Yet the body count suggests otherwise.
China’s not buying the platitudes. After years of footing the bill for CPEC—roads, rails, and ports to extend its global reach—Beijing’s fed up with Pakistan’s excuses. It wants its own boots on the ground, a move that’d further erode Pakistan’s sovereignty under the guise of “cooperation.” Hashmi’s “complex security environment” line is diplomatic fluff—Pakistan’s counter-terrorism game is shaky, and China knows it. Last month’s pledge to “strengthen bilateral counter-terrorism” during President Zardari’s China visit sounded tough, but the joint statement’s vague promises—condemning attacks, upgrading defense ties—smack of desperation, not resolve.
Pakistan’s on the ropes, and China’s impatience is showing. Beijing’s largesse has kept the lights on, but its nationals keep dying. If Islamabad can’t deliver, expect China to tighten the leash—because for Xi, CPEC’s too big to fail, even if Pakistan’s security is.
